Have you ever heard something on the news about a middle schooler committing suicide? As of 2022, the rate had doubled in the past ten years. One cause could be middle school administrators’ negligence in understanding students’ mental health issues. Middle school administrators could solve middle school’s influence on suicide rates by implementing a task force to address students’ suicidal thoughts.
To begin, school administrators have failed to take the steps to address students’ suicidal thoughts. According to the American School Counselor Association, “parents [of students who died by suicide] exclaimed that they had informed the school of their disquiets about their son being victimized and that nothing had been done. They believed the bullying was a major cause of his death.” To address this, middle schools should implement social-emotional learning (SEL) programs for middle schoolers so they will feel safe in the school environment and not have suicidal thoughts.
To do this, middle schools can actively hire staff who specialize in reducing the risk of suicide among students. According to the Yale School of Medicine, “Building on decades of research that demonstrated positive results of SEL, this study confirmed that students who participated in SEL programs do better in school, academically and socially.” Therefore, middle school administrators should implement SEL programs because, though the number of students who attempt suicide will never completely dissipate, 3,703 could one day become 750.
Middle schoolers do not get the support needed to prevent their suicidal tendencies. Yet, some middle school administrators have taken action and started to invest in SEL programs that will make middle schoolers feel safer in their environment. Recently, I have started to learn more about the interventions for middle schoolers and more about why they might commit suicide. So, for the past few weeks, I have dedicated myself to learning even more and trying to make a difference for middle schoolers so they, like myself, feel safe and not suicidal because of the school environment. Remember, saving a middle schooler’s life is saving the future of education and the future of our country.
